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3rd WLE Mobile Learning Symposium: Mobile Learning Cultures across Education, Work and Leisure 27 March 2009, WLE Centre, IOE London, UK
Project:Mobile Learning
as a Part of Classroom Instruction
Chief Executive / Director of Media+Education.com
Katja Friedrich
Summary
1.The media education task force medien+bildung.com
2. Prevalence of Mobile Phones in Germany
3. Mobile Phones in the educational context in Germany
• Researches
• Schools
4. The Pedagogical Position of medien+bildung.com
5. Pre-project test run „pocket wireless“
• Results
• Methods
• Technical insigts
6. The planned project – „Mobile learning as a part of classroom instruction“
• Pedagogical Aim
• Pedagogical Plan for the Project
• Communication strategy
• Documentation and transfer
Mobile Learning as a Part of Classroom Instruction
Media education “task force” – culturally and pedagogically “on the ball”
12 media educators (ME) working on location in schools
each ME has mobile equipment at hand
1.
The aim of :
The media education task force medien+bildung.com
The State of Rhineland-Palatinate initiated, in 2007, its “10 Point Programme to Promote Media Literacy in Schools”with financing of 1 million Euros.
10 points = 10 strategies
Despite such efforts: everyday acces to schools is still impeded by technical, psychological, and structural factors.
to provide support toward overcoming such obstacles and to demonstrate good practice for media education in schools
One strategy = technical investment in schools: laptop-carts, software, broadband access
Another strategy = training of multipliers on the protection of minors in the media
1.
2. Prevalence of Mobile Phones in Germany2.
Prevalence of Mobile Phones in Germany2.
Mobile phones in the educational context in Germany (1)
Assessment of researchers:
PRO: the position of Ben Bachmair:“In the model of reflexive action and reflexive appropriation of media in an environment determined by the media, there are two poles – the pole of media that are bound into everyday aesthetics and the pole of personal agency. (…)Since schools, with their demand for literalness, now fail to reach a significant number of students, it would be recommendable to connect the structures of learning in school with the structures of everyday media use, and in doing so to integrate everyday skills and everyday media agency into learning at school.”
Bachmair, Ben (2009). Medienwissen für Pädagogen. Medienbildung in riskanten Erlebniswelten, p. 224
3.
8
“However, all such efforts to invent the <Nuremberger funnel> [for infusing knowledge*] have failed: one cannot force-feed knowledge, it cannot be infused into students by a machine. Learning is a process based on relationships. (…) At best, the computer is a supportive aid, a medium, like a book or a film.” (p. 157/158)
Joachim Krautz: „Ware Bildung. Schule und Universität unter dem Diktat der Ökonomie“, Kreuzlingen/München (Hugendubel) 2007 // <Universität Wuppertal>book title ... (approx.)...: Education as a commodity: Schools and universities under the dictate of economics
“This (…) triangle of teacher, pupil, and object or world is at the core of all upbringing and education. Through his person, the teacher acts as an intermediary to the things of the world, the pupils gains acces to them trough his person, he constructs his personal connection to
Mobile phones in the educational context in Germany (2)
CONTRA: the position of Joachim Krautz:
the world through this interpersonal relationship.” (p. 13)
“The triangle of the pedagogical relationship can serve as a foil for the assessment of today’s developments. For example, it exposes all the never-tiring attempts to replace teachers - in bygone days, by radio or television, and now, by computers, the internet, and learning software – as doomed to failure: they are inadequate to human needs.” (p. 14)
3.
Attitudes and positions taken by schools:
Mobile phones in the educational context in Germany (3)
• Typically: mobiles in the classroom = negative image
• disturbing or “hazardous”
• appear useless to many older teachers (and some parents), who themselves use mobiles only in emergencies
• uncomprehending attitude toward the technology and its role within the culture of young people
• in many schools, mobile phones are banned so that they can’t be used for …
• mobbing or cyberbullying• or simply to avoid ringing and “fiddling around” as permanent disruptions
3.
The Pedagogical Position of medien+bildung.com
progressive education (Montessori, Adolf Reichwein, and others)
combined with state-of-the-art technology / „pedagogy of navigation“ (self directed learning by New Media) (Franz Josef Röll, University of Darmstadt)
de-code media and knowledge as cultural resources and provide tools for active participation and empowerment
establish the everyday culture of children and adolescents as a classroom topic, understand their fascination with it and the needs it creates
4.
Working with the mobile phone – “pocket wireless” (“taschenfunk”)a test run preceding the current project (1)
Project description: • exploration of concepts, methods, applications, technical obstacles• extracurricular activities based on today’s mobile phones• duration: February 2008 – May 2009• sponsored by SAP Regio Sponsoring• presentation of outcomes in the brochure “taschenfunk” in May 2009 (1)• technical output: decision on components for mobile classroom sets, purchased in January 2009 (2)
Methods / outcomes: • development of creative media exercises, games and competitive schemes• exploration of technical options and working conditions in the school context
5.
12
Projects realised with mobiles:
1. Text• Who’s got the nimblest fingers? SMS competition• SMS poetry slam• SMS brainstorming; SMS voting• Text summary via SMS• SMS photos
2. Print / Visuals• Creating a background image for a mobile• Mobile photo exhibition• Adventure search with photos as proof• Picture story• Developing learning maps• Making big out of something small
5. Software• Wikipedia• Learning software
6. Cellcasting / Geocaching
Examples presented in the “taschenfunk” brochure
3. Audio• Creating a ring tone• Mobile radio item• Mobile radio drama• Mobile interview
Working with the mobile phone – “pocket wireless” (“taschenfunk”)a test run preceding the current project (2)
4. Video• Short film on the mobile• Impressions of the city• Report on vocational internship
5.
Method: writing “Little Elves”Little elves are short stories that always have 11 words.First, write an elf on a certain topic.Then, produce a series of 5 pictures to go with it.Variation: you can also take the pictures first – maybe you already have some on your mobile? Then write an elf to go with your pictures.
5.
© K. Friedrich, m+b.com 14
Method: square-round or black-white5.
Technical insights gained in the project “pocket wireless”
• In project work with mobiles, the probability is particularly high that technical issues will need to be solved.• The market has not established any uniform standards.• There are as many different cables to connect a mobile to a PC as there are companies producing them. When one has filmed a video on the mobile, editing at the computer cannot begin until the data has been translated into a format that the computer understands. • Students’ mobiles are not necessarily compatible with one another – one will have Bluetooth, another only infra-red, and a third perhaps no communication interface at all (where youth protection has held sway).• Collaborative work implies, however, that content be collected on mobiles by individuals or small groups and later combined into an overall team outcome.
Position 2: Lessen teachers’ reservations towards new technology by standardizing equipment and reducing obstacles = essential element for acceptance and sustainability in schools !
Position 1: Use everyday equipment of students (mobiles) and master technical hurdles together = essential element of “contextual learning” as the pedagogical method of choice !
5.
• offers all functions that can expected of a mobile phone in 2009• all typical data protocols (e.g. WLAN, Bluetooth, GPRS, MiniUSB) are available = high flexibility and good outlook for future use !• display is bright and suited for geocaching, in connection with integrated GPS chips
Technical data:• 2.8” touchscreen (240x320)• Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional• Microsoft Office Mobile (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)• Internet Explorer• WLAN 802.11g, GPRS10, WAP2.0• GPS chip set: SIRF III
Purchase: standard mobile set for project work
Simvalley XP 65
• pocket PC, many (freeware-) programmes can be installed additionally• functionality can be extended
BUT: driver solution is necessary to switch function of GPS chips from car to pedestrian use !
5.
The planned project – “Mobile learning as a part of classroom instruction” (1)
• Duration: March 2009 – November 2010
• Location(s): 12 schools, 4 different types of schools (3 X 4) in Rhineland-Palatinate; focus on socially disadvantaged target groups
• Framework: 4- to 6-week classroom projects during core curriculum time in various subjects; during the academic year 2009/2010
• Personnel: co-teaching of subject teacher and media educator from m+b.com
• Equipment: a) mobile classroom set of m+b.com (= uniform equipment) b) private mobiles of the students (= very diverse equipment!)
• Scientific advisor / consultant: Prof. Ben Bachmair, Augsburg / GER
• Evaluation: NN (decision pending)
• Cooperation established with: Teacher training centres RLP; SAP Regio Sponsoring; State Ministry of Education RLP
• Future cooperation (2nd project phase?) sought with: WLE London (?); schools in England / Scotland (more experienced than we are!)
Project design:
6.
Pedagogical Aim:
• Youthful interest in technology and new work patterns – such as solving math problems on the mobile phone – can reduce aversions to content or learning methods and allow for more a positive experience at school.
The planned project – “Mobile learning as a part of classroom instruction” (2)
• Giving students a responsible role strengthens their self-perception. In particular, “disadvantaged” students often tend to regard themselves as incapable of success.
• When a skill that they possess – namely, handling new media with ease and confidence – is in demand and is seen as valuable, their perception of themselves in relation to their teacher(s) can change significantly.
Bachmair and Patten (2006, quoted in Bachmair 2009, p. 199): circumscribe the learning effects emerging from mobile phones as “collaborative, constructionist, contextual”.
6.
The planned project – “Mobile learning as a part of classroom instruction” (3)
Development of methods: 31 March 2009 m+b.com team (internal conference)
Adaptation of methods / Testing Phase, e.g.•in “MyClip” project (at 3 vocational schools) with teachers as partners, May/Juin 2009 •in the context of “Multimedia in major subjects” / academic school Daun/Eifel,
a long-standing partner school with a co-teaching model•etc.
Conceptual Preparations:
Developping the new role of teacher, media educator and studentsby co-teaching-experiences.Project aims at establishing a partnership of the teacher, ME and students that enables division of tasks and mutual team efforts.
Conceptual Adaptation from the methods to the 4 didactic parameter:•Parameter (A): Learning set •Parameter (B): Relation to the object of learning•Parameter (C): Institutional emphasis on expertise•Parameter (D): Media and modes of representation
6.
Communication strategy:
• The brochure “taschenfunk” (“pocket wireless”) is to play an important role in recruiting partners and gaining support from educational policy makers and administrators.
• Partners for the project can be won on the basis of trust established in long years of cooperation in other contexts (network from m+b.com + new contacts)
• The project will be presented on 28 May 2009 in Mainz at iMEDIA, the major fair for teachers, media, and education.
• A kick-off event with partner schools is planned for 28 September 2009 in Mainz at the “full-day school” fair (with all schools participating in the project, the Ministry of Education, and the scientific evaluators).
• Meetings for parents at cooperating schools, as well as letters to parents, will help to integrate them as partners and to obtain their approval.
The planned project – “Mobile learning as a part of classroom instruction” (4)
6.
The planned project – “Mobile learning as a part of classroom instruction” (5)
Documentation and transfer
• Methods and strategies that prove successful toward achieving pedagogical goals will be documented. For example:
• The methods developed will be integrated into teacher training programmes at universities (m+b.com has academic teaching commissions at four universities). Application with teacher trainees was tested during the winter term 2008/2009 with outcomes of the “pocket wireless” project.
http://onlinecollegedegree.org/2009/03/19/100-tips-apps-and-resources-for-teachers-on-twitter/
• As means of transfer, e-learning scenarios, tutorials, training courses, will be developed, with project outcomes presented in written and audiovisual form, and methods made available in an online databank or as templates in “array of methods”, etc.; together with suggestions for their application in the curricular context.
6.
